


Scholcat

by orphan_account, RougemageNick



Series: Just a RWBY OS full of OCs... [21]
Category: RWBY
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-08
Updated: 2014-11-08
Packaged: 2018-02-24 15:38:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2586791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RougemageNick/pseuds/RougemageNick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With Xellos taken in, the team finally gets to rest and just be students for a bit. But nothing is ever so simple, is it...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Scholcat

**Author's Note:**

> IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE ARTWORK, SEE THE NOTES BELOW. --- Hello ladies and gentlemen who are reading ^_^. MZT1418 again...I wanted to tell you that this is the first of a few...Idle chapters, you could say...Just to develop character and such before the next big arc...

 Scholcat:

Team JNAS sat next to eachother on the two beds in the room eating breakfast together. It was the first day in weeks that their door wasn't kicked in by Mickey, and they intended to enjoy it before leaving for class. Nick sat watching the door with pride after fixing it last time, feeling good to see it still in place. Jay chuckled and pointed him out to Sasha, who turned and nudged him. He smiled and continued with his meal.

"Finally returning to simple classes...I wonder if we'll have any sparring..." Anna wondered out loud.

Jay shrugged, "Who knows...Maybe they'll want to see how far along we are after that mission, or maybe they'll just want to let us rest...We'll just have to wait and see, yes?" he responded.

Nick sighed and moved his prosthetic arm in circles, stretching his shoulder, "I don't know about you guys, but I'd like to have a rest...Non-stop fighting...Believe me, I like a good fight as much as the next guy, but..." he trailed off. Everyone nodded in agreement...

"Perhaps we should get going then...Maybe we can get an excuse note from Ozpin..." Jay conjectured. 

Sasha shook her head, "I don't think so...I mean...We're huntsman/huntress in training and all, right? They don't normally get alot of downtime. Jumping from one job to another...It's just how it is, right? So they wouldn't let us off, they'd be preparing us for that in the future...Right?" she asked. 

"But remember, we're only first years...We weren't even supposed to be sent on that mission...It was supposed to go to one of the two highest class levels or a professional team...As far as I can tell, the most action we should be in for this year is shadowing a huntress or huntsman starting next semester..." Anna explained.

"Wow...Aren't we lucky...We've already got more experience than ninety percent of the other teams this year..." Nick said, leaning back in consideration. The team finished the meal, continuing to discuss their experience and various advantages until time for first class came. They walked slowly, taking their time getting to their destination. Team RWBY passed them on their way. The faunus girl with a bow lagged behind though.

"She looks tired...That's probably why they're late this morning..." Jay muttered to the team as they watched them run to class. 

"Won't  **we** be late if we don't run at this point?" Nick said, looking sidelong at him. Jay shrugged. "So...Just fuck it then? We're just...Sauntering?" he poked at Jay's side and Jay whacked his hand down. 

"First, no touchy. Second, pretty much...We've been a hair's breadth from death four times each this semester...Who cares if we're late...Besides, we can probably get it excused by Ozpin anyway..." he responded. Nick shrugged and they continued walking. They walked into Professor Port's classroom while he was in the middle of a story about wrestling with a Rex grimm while trying to fend off a small herd of boarbutusks at the same time. He didn't even seem to notice them. When he did look up and see them, he sounded confused for a minute.

"Professor, we've been here the whole time...You called our team's name at roll...Nick groaned loudly at having to be here, but I called out anyway? Perhaps you forgot...Being as entranced by your own story as we were, I'm lucky  **I** didn't forget..." Jay said smoothly without a even flinching. The professor blinked and considered for a moment.

"Yes...That would explain it...Well, as you were so enamored by  **that** story, I think you'll love this next one..." he said, moving onto another far fetched tail. Jay smirked to himself and Nick nudged his side.

"Nice bullshit lie..." he muttered as silently as possible. Jay chuckled.

"It's both my attention to vague details and my solid voice that sells it..." he muttered back. Sasha and Anna couldn't help but also chuckle under their breath, but they fought to keep it down. When class was over, Nick was too eager to leave, and ran out the door, despite the fact that class felt oddly short that day. Jay walked a bit more slowly with Anna and Sasha moving ahead.

"UUUGH!!! I hate that class!!! It's not even a real class!!! He just babbles about bullshit ancient stories...What are we even learning..." he muttered angrily. 

Jay sighed, "Nick...That's Grimm Lore and Anatomy. If you'd listen a bit closer, he explains tons about the bodies and weaknesses of Grimm. Those stories may be bullshit, but they're laced with information on Grimm anatomy...And while embellished, they're also filled with the history of those creatures...Or haven't you yet realized that he's basically telling the stories of older huntsman and huntresses as though he was the ones in their shoes?" Jay explained.

Nick's jaw dropped in astonishment..."You...Fucking... **Nerd!!!** " he called to Jay.

Jay sighed again and rolled his eyes, "That's intellectual to you, dumbass." he muttered in response. Anna leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I think it's cute that you're a nerd..." she said with a smile. Jay blushed a little and smiled as well.

"Look at you two...You're so cute together..." Sasha squealed, putting her arms around them and crushing them together in a hug that could kill a beowulf. Both Anna and Jay coughed for a few seconds when she let them down. "Hehe, sorry...I couldn't help it..." she muttered apologetically. Their Collective History class with Doctor Oobleck that day went similarly quick, as time simply flew by till lunch, where they joined Team SCRT at a table. 

"Is it just us, or is the day like...Flashing by for you guys too?" Sam asked as they ate. Team JNAS looked back and forth between themselves and nodded.

"Yup...We're having a similar experience...And to be honest...I can't really see why..." he said after watching them all nod to him. 

Jay cleared his throat, "It could have something to do with the way we're perceiving our routine...Think about it...Those days training with Mickey...More than a month passed while we were doing that...And while it seemed quick, that's because we were filling ourselves with anticipation for that big battle...It was quite stressful, with the odd sleep hours and all...All of a sudden things are back to normal. It'll take time, but our brains are unwinding from that. Things aren't quite as tense...So the days will pass us by like this for quite a bit, as they're not so filled with stress...Well...Less so..." he said. Everyone sat listening for a minute. The twins glanced at eachother.

"But...Wait...Wouldn't that...Make the day seem slower?" the twins asked.

Jay shook his head, "Not really...Remember when we first started training? Our heads were slowing our perception rather than quickening it. Basically giving itself more time to prepare for...Well what we perceived as a big stressful day of fighting...That we could most certainly have died in...The brain doesn't really like the idea of dying...Slowing our perception was something of a survival mechanism, even if it  **seemed**  quicker..." Jay went on. The twins looked very confused.

Sam shook his head chuckling, "Well...It would seem you're the expert, so we'll have to take your word for it..." he said, still a little astounded. 

Nick made a coughing sound, "Nerd," and followed with more coughing sounds. Sasha slapped Nick's prosthetic arm playfully, as did Anna on the other side of him.

Jay put his arm around Anna's shoulder, "I believe he means it in friendly terms...And it's really a compliment anyway..." he said. 

Nick nodded, "Yeah...He understands the sentiment...Stop with the arm slaps...That shit's vicious...Your hands are like fuckin' leather lashes..." he said annoyed, rubbing the spots where they hit his arms.

"How does it hurt your prosthetic arm?" the twins asked curiously.

"This thing was designed with artificial nerves of all kinds...It's a real arm for all intents and purposes...But made of metal...And lethal...You know?..." he explained. 

"But wait...Haven't you blocked bullets with that arm?" Sam asked, sounding almost concerned. Before Nick could speak up, Jay intervened.

"After a while I would imagine it became just a stinging sensation...The mind does that...After so much pain it ups the absolute pain threshold...It gets used to it and makes it easier for our bodies to handle next time..." Jay said. Nick stared at him a little annoyed and a tension fell.

"...Asshole." Nick muttered.

"That's  **nerd** to you." he responded without looking, pushing his glasses up on his nose. Suddenly both of them began laughing and the tension vanished. They and Team SCRT had been excused from sparring when they got to Practical Combat Against Humans later by Professor Goodwitch. They sat back and happily watched the other spars until it was time for dinner. They ate together quickly before heading off to bed...Luckily for them...It was Friday.

* * *

 

The next day, the team had Collective History that day. They had agreed to Ozpin to take one class a day during weekends to make up for their time away from classes while training with Mickey. Team SCRT also had classes, but at different times. They had one class a little before noon on Saturday, and one evening class on Sunday. They'd be the only ones in the classroom, and they weren't sure why the teachers would agree to do this. Perhaps out of respect, but none of them thought about it much. They had to do it...Sasha was opening the door, which Nick watched with satisfaction at the fact that he didn't have to fix it again last night before bed. Jay turned and noticed Mr. Gump in Anna's arms.

"Uh...Anna...You know we're not allowed to take him out of the dorm, right?" Jay asked.

Anna nodded, then shrugged, "It doesn't matter. I'll keep an eye on him...Where's he gonna go...What's gonna be the problem..." she asked. She had a small vile of highly diluted fire dust in her hand that she'd gotten at the pet store for keeping him warm, but not to burn him. Everyone looked back and forth for a minute in consideration. After a minute, Nick glanced at Jay and shrugged. Jay nodded and they left the room, Mr. Bump in tow. When they got to the classroom, Anna set Mr. Gump on her table and opened her scroll to take notes. Jay sat to her left with Sasha to her right, and Nick to Sasha's right. Professor Oobleck's door slammed open, and team JNAS looked up, halfway expecting to see Mickey in the doorway. But the door closed as fast as it opened, and the professor had appeared suddenly behind his desk, sipping coffee from his mug. Everyone settled into the odd tension that was always present around professor Oobleck, always whizzing this way and that. He had started ranting about the history of Dust Runes in early human cultures. After a minute he turned back to the classroom and almost looked back to the board when he turned back to look up at team JNAS.

"MS. ARISTOLE, WHAT IS THAT ON YOUR DESK?!" he shouted towards them. Jay, Sasha, and Nick all put their palms to their faces.

"It's my scroll, sir...For taking notes?..." she responded without missing a beat. Sasha held back laughter and Jay smirked. 

"NOT WHAT I MEANT. WHAT. IS THAT SMALL. GREEN. CREATURE." he demanded.

Anna glanced at Mr. Gump, "I believe in some circles, it is referred to as...A tortoise..." she responded with a small smile. Sasha couldn't hold back her chuckling anymore and ducked under the table. Jay's smile widened and he put his face in his hands. Nick just smiled, taking in the sarcasm in the statement. 

"AND WHY IS IT HERE?!" he continued.

"His name is Mr. Gump, sir, and he's here to learn. He's quite eager, so please continue with the lesson." she retorted with finality. Everyone in the class was silent except Jay and Sasha, who'd both fallen from their chairs trying to hold back their laughter. Nick was shaking his head, still smiling in admiration. 

"........VERY WELL. SIT UP AND PAY ATTENTION MR. OVERSTRAND. MS. SCATHACH." he snapped. They both sat up and straightened themselves in their chairs. Jay leaned over and kissed Anna on the cheek. Nick was clapping silently, making sure not to make noise.

"The sarcasm is  **strong** with this one..." he muttered to her. She nodded to him and feigned a small bowing motion while the professor's back was turned. Jay didn't pay attention to the lesson...Dust runes had always been one of his favorite subjects, and he knew them well. They came up in his entrance exam, and it was an easy challenge. Instead, he worked on something with his scroll the whole time. When the class was over, Anna nudged his shoulder, taking his hand in hers.

"What were you working on there? Something important? Looked like your weapons..." she inquired.

Jay nodded, "I'm thinking of redesigning them...The bayonets for instance...I have always believed a blade setting of some kind has always been important on a weapon, but perhaps there would be a more efficient way to use my weapons..." he responded, sounding as though he was still in his head.

Anna turned him towards her and kissed him on the lips, "Let me guess...This was brought on by our...Encounters?" she asked. Jay nodded. "Well then if you think it's best...What do you have in mind?" she asked.

Jay pulled out his scroll and opened the design he was working on. "Basically...I may not need blade edge...Slightly larger and more reinforced barrels would support a more powerful dust ammunition. And the secondary form would instead extend the barrel out where the blade used to be. Doubling the length of the tonfa and creating better reach...And I with this design, the ends would clip together..." he explained.

Anna frowned, "A long-staff? Tonfas...And a dust cannon. But...Why the long-staff? I mean, I understand the extra reach...Which would certainly make up for the loss of the blades...But still, why?" she asked.

Jay considered a moment..."I'd say because of you..." he muttered. Anna raised an eyebrow in question. "Well...We've practiced together so much...And your poleax' reach and use and...Well, having practiced with you and learning about it's use, I think...My skills would be better served with a weapon of such great reach. And it would also...Well, I believe it would improve our team dynamic in combat...We would be...Much better suited to help eachother if I did this...Plus, like I said, I believe it would make better use of my skills..." he explained.

Anna smiled, "Ok then...So you'd be able to clip this together to give you...How much reach is that?" she asked. 

"Ten feet. And serving as a dust cannon, it would be a very powerful weapon...Plus, this design includes small pathways down the surface metal for various dust to flow...With a dust array clip, these small pathways would let dust flow through...And it would supply more power to the staff bodies and make it more devastating close up..." he explained. Suddenly Anna and Jay both bumped into Sasha and Nick, who were both standing in front of them with their arms crossed. Both had smiles on their faces.

"So what'cha talkin about?..." Sasha asked.

"I'm considering a new design to my weapon..." Jay responded. Nick raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? Well you should go see Grant then...Even if you're designing and forging it yourself, he's got the best equipment...He would help you out to...I mean, it sounds like you're going to majorly rehaul the thing, yes? Then yeah, you want to go to Grant...He can sell you the material. He's got plenty..." Nick advised.

Jay nodded, "I would suspect that's your doing...And if he has some of the material I'm looking for, then yes, I'd be happy to ask him for help..." Jay responded.

Anna smiled, "I can go with you...I'm not exactly a weapon's specialist, but I'd love to just be there with you...And it doesn't hurt that we're running low on food for Mr. Gump." she muttered. Her cat ears twitched as she looked over the tortoise she carried in her free hand. 

"Interesting...Well just remember...Save your kissing for your private time..." Sasha taunted. Anna smirked and glanced away. Jay just narrowed his eyes. He spent the rest of the day carefully making the design for his weapon's upgrade. Sasha and Anna had fallen asleep when he finally deactivated his scroll and set it aside to sleep.

"You finally got it the way you want?" Nick whispered in the dark room.

"Yeah...You know, whispering actually strains your voice more than speaking normally does..." Jay whispered back.

"Neeeeeeeerd. Anyway...You and Anna gonna go see Grant about it tomorrow?" he asked. Jay almost nodded before remembering that the room was dark...

"Yeah...I think the design I have in mind will greatly increase my proficiency in battle...Especially against Grimm..." he whispered.

"........Do I even need to say it this time..." Nick whispered. Jay chuckled, trying to keep it quiet.

"Shut the fuck up and go to sleep..." he muttered back, before rolling over for bed. Nick went silent for the night...

* * *

 

Jay and Anna woke up a little earlier that morning to head in to town together. Sasha mumbled to them as they opened the door to not kiss too much in public, but they didn't pay it any heed. Nick was fast asleep and they weren't interested in waking him just to say they'd be back soon. Since Alice was off that week, they kept to themselves on the flight to Vale. Once they'd arrived, they waved the pilot off back to Beacon...

"Hey, we should go see Mickey sometime this week..." Jay thought out loud. 

"That sounds fun...First, we should get breakfast, ok?" she said, taking his hand in hers. Jay nodded as they walked. They went to a coffee shop in downtown Vale near Grant's shop to get something to get breakfast and coffee. 

"The pet shop is a little ways from here...How about you head to Grant and I'll catch up with you when I've gotten Mr. Gump's stuff, ok?" Anna asked.

Jay nodded, "Ok...And Anna...They say the White Fang is becoming more active lately...As are it's opposition...Namely, racist humans...Be careful of that, ok?..." he muttered to her. She smiled and nodded, reaching back and running her hand over the handle of her axe.

"Don't you worry about me...I'm well protected..." she responded with confidence.

Jay chuckled, "I know...But I still worry about you...So just...Really. Be careful." he said. After breakfast Jay took Anna's hand and pulled her close to give her a kiss before he went to see Grant. He watched until she'd rounded the first corner to head off. The walk slightly less comfortable without Anna with him, but he did his best to avoid contact. The walk to Grant's shop wasn't a very long one, but it felt like one. He opened the door and closed it behind him, glad to take the smell of the oil over contact with other people any day. Grant was moving hurriedly around the shelves, taking parts from this counter and that. On the table in front of Jay, there was a small sign that said "Stand Still and Don't Touch Anything." Jay frowned and looked down at his feet. A large X had been made on the floor with duct tape. Grant continued moving, apparently not even noticing that Jay had walked in. Jay was tempted to grab the chair in front of him, but was discouraged by the sign. So instead he simply stood waiting. Suddenly Grant looked up and dropped all of the materials in his arms onto the desk in front of him. He set about organizing it for a minute before approaching Jay. He reached out a gloved hand, but then realized the glove was extremely dirty, being covered in oil and ash, and removed it. Jay tentatively reached out and shook his hand.

"So...Another visit from a future huntsman...What can I do for you this morning, Mr. uh...Um..." he trailed off.

"Jay...Don't worry, I forget names too..." he said quickly.

Grant waved his hand in front of them, "Thanks...So, what can I do for you..." he asked again. Jay pulled out his scroll and opened to the design for the new tonfas. Grant pulled his gloves off and tossed them aside, taking the scroll and looking over the design. After a minute of silence Grant looked up at Jay, then back down at the scroll. 

"This is gonna need...Some very expensive material..." he said simply. Jay nodded. "And it's gonna take...Maybe...Two days..." he continued. Jay nodded again. Grant shrugged, "Ok...If you're certain about this...Can you afford this though?" he asked. Jay only nodded again. "Not a real talkative guy, are you..." he muttered, walking to the back door, motioning for Jay to follow. They walked down the stairs at the back of the room. When Grant opened the door to the large room under his shop, Jay glanced around quickly, using his semblance to look over all of the dust and machines.

"There's alot of stray dust in here...It's coating pretty much everything...That could be a hazard, you know..." he muttered simply.

Grant chuckled and walked over to the back of the room, "Could be...But it's not...The vent's will come on at noon. The stray dust will be cleared out...Don't worry about it, eh kid..." he said. "So...What's your prefered material?..." he asked, pulling up a large door to what looked like a walk-in closet filled with assortments of metals.

"Come on now...The traditional stuff of course...I looove me some Titanium." he said.

Grant nodded, "The dust temper?" he asked. 

Jay thought for a minute, thinking of what would be best for the design of the weapon. "Fire 31...Ice 16...Earth 31...Treated in Wind 10." he thought, speaking it as it came to mind.

"That's a rather large fire ratio...Are you sure you want that? I would think you'd want only Fire 22 for something like this, and Ice 19..." he said back.

Jay shook his head, "That's what the Wind 10 is for...I have a friend whose fans were made with that dust ratio...They could take a railgun and not even bend...So I trust that ratio." he said. Grant nodded, considering for a moment.

"Well for that, I'm going to have to temper the metal by hand..." he remarked.

Jay stepped forward, "I can help with that..." he said. Grant took a cart from the back of the room and piled some heavy chunks of weapon-grade titanium onto the cart.

"Ah...You're a real traditionalist, aren't you...I respect that...I use forging methods that people would consider out of date, but they still make better weapons than even some of the better modern methods...So it's good to see someone using a more traditional metal...Even for a less traditional weapon. The design shouldn't take more than a couple hours to put together, and that'll be the bulk of the time, along with this process of dust tempering...So shall we get started?" he asked, taking it over to a counter behind which stood a large cabinet filled with dust jars. They looked through the container for the proper concentrations of dust...Fire 31, Ice 16, and Earth 31. Dust treatment required more delicate work, covering the metal completely in the dust, layer after layer, in specific order.

Anna opened the door to the shop and glanced around...No one was present in the room. There was a small sign in front of her telling her not to move. She stood looking around, carrying the large bag she'd acquired from the pet shop. She considered what to do for a minute before calling Jay on his scroll. He sent back a message telling her to go through the door at the back and to head down the stairs. When she opened the door to the room, she spotted Jay and Grant at a counter at the far side of the room, both holding large coarse brushes, applying dust to chunks of metal. She walked over to them and watched.

"Titanium, Jay? Why not something stronger?" she asked.

Jay stayed focused on the dust, "Well this is what Mickey uses...And it works well for her...And the dust temper should make it a much more suitable strength..." he said back. They were applying ice dust now, over a thin layer of fire dust. The two dusts were interacting, and the metal was changing color, from a black to a dull gray, then black again, and to a more shining silver. They started applying more Ice dust, occasionally sprinkling fire dust over it this time. 

"Wow...You're actually very good at this...Nick said you were intelligent...But this...Is impressive..." he stated, breathing a bit more shallow breaths to not disturb the dust.

"Oh? It's uncharacteristic of Nick to speak so highly of me...I'll have to remember that..." he muttered. Near an hour passed as they continued to layer the metals with dust. Earth, then more fire, then a thin brushing of Ice, and another more healthy coating of earth. When finally they straightened their backs and looked over the metalwork, Grant wasted no time in taking the Wind 10 and pouring a generous amount into a large machine. They took a tray and gently moved the chunks of metal onto it, then carried it over to the machine and slid it in.

"Alright...That metal will be completely treated by tomorrow morning...I'm going to get the mold started...Copy the designs over to my scroll...I'll have it done by tomorrow night...Come by and pick up your new weapons then, ok? Oh, and leave me your old tonfas...They'll be useful as well." he said, shaking Jay's hand again. Jay pulled his scroll out and copied the designs over before handing over his tonfas and the bayonets. He then turned and opened the door, allowing Anna to step through first. It was almost seven in the afternoon. Their eight pm class would start in a while.Jay glanced at the bag in Anna's hand.

"Would you like me to carry that for you..." he asked.

Anna shook her head, "No thanks, I've got it..." she responded, cat ears twitching. Jay pondered her answer for a minute.

"Ok then...Let's get something for dinner before we have to get back to Beacon, then eh?" he added.

Anna nodded, "That sounds good...We haven't eaten since breakfast...And since we have to...Get back to class...Dinner's a good idea." she said. They decided they'd simply stop at one of the ramen stands in town, and ate quickly, talking about the tempering process and how a weapon can affect a person's abilities, or even reflect their personality. As 7:30 neared, they paid for their meal and went on their way, thanking the older looking man behind the counter.

"I could have sworn I saw him working at a dust shop at one point..." Jay muttered to himself as they left. They walked quickly, already fearing they'd be late for class. But it didn't matter. The only thing that made them want to hurry up is what Sasha and Nick would think. As they neared the airfield though, they encountered a small group of adults, looking to be in their early twenties. They watched as Anna and Jay passed them holding hands.

"Now that just ain't right...The fuck are you doing with a thing like that..." they shouted after them. Jay stopped walking and Anna stopped after him as he gripped her hand a little tighter. He turned to the three of them...

"What was that?...A...'Thing?'" he repeated angrily. He turned and glanced back at the three men, who were stepping towards them.

The one in front scoffed, "It's just not right...Those creatures don't belong intermingling with humans...They're animals..." he said. All three of them laughed and nodded in agreement. 

Anna sighed, rolling her eyes, "Jay, it's alright...Just ignore them..." she said, trying to pull him back towards the landing site.

Jay didn't budge though, "Those creatures? They're not some barbaric subspecies, you fuckbrained twit. They're as human as you or I. The difference in biology from human to faunus is about the same as the difference between male and female. But of course I wouldn't expect a someone like you to know that...You probably haven't ever seen the inside of a classroom." he muttered, clearly getting more and more angry. The bullhead was arriving on the site behind them and Anna tugged at Jay's hand again.

"Jay, really. Just leave them. It doesn't matter anyway, we've got somewhere to be." she insisted. Jay turned from the group, small shards of red in his eyes again. 

"I  **hate**  people like them...Actually, I take that back. They're not people...They're as much a human as a Grimm is an animal..." he said loudly, clearly intending them to hear it. The group laughed at the retort as he and Anna walked back to the bullhead and got on to head back to Beacon. Jay muttered angrily about what that one had said about Anna until she decided she'd had enough and shut him up with kissing. They shouted to the pilot to hurry up and get them back to Beacon, but Jay wasn't in any rush while kissing Anna...When they got back to Beacon, they sprinted to the classroom, dodging around students left and right. When they got to the classroom, Anna kicked open the door in a manner similar to Mickey. They walked in and sat next to Nick and Sasha, who glanced over at them in silent question. They waited till class was over to talk about anything though. When the door to the classroom closed behind them, Nick and Sasha spoke up.

"So? How'd it go?" Nick asked.

"They're going to be ready tomorrow night...We can go after class to pick them up...Lucky tomorrow's Monday and we don't have many classes...We can go pick up my brand new weapons..." Jay said simply.

Nick nodded in approval, "You see? A different weaponsmith would have taken a week or more...Grant is one of the best...Pay him well..." he added, nudging Jay's side.

Sasha punched his shoulder, "I get first match. I want to see if I can crush you now and prove I'm stronger." she insisted.

Nick frowned, "What? No, I get first match!! I'm his partner, therefore I get first match." he dictated. 

Well then what about Anna? She's his girlfriend...Shouldn't  **she** get first match, if that's your logic...She's a closer partner to him..." she retorted.

"Yeah, I think  **I** should get first match..." Anna agreed.

Nick smirked, "Jay and Anna may be together, but that's a different relationship all together. Totally different quadrants." he said.

"I'm flattered that you're all fighting over who gets to try and beat the shit outta me, here's an idea...How about I pick for myself?" Jay jumped in. Nick and Sasha both grumbled their agreement. Anna cleared her throat and pulled Jay's head over and whispered something in his ear...

Jay's eyes widened, "Sorry guys, Anna gets first match. I'll be nice however, and take on both Sasha and Nick in the second match though, ok? That way no one feels left out..." he said.

"Are you so sure you can take us both on?" Sasha asked.

Jay shrugged, "Only one way to find out, I guess...I mean I have an advantage, what with knowing all your moves and tag team techniques and all, but you two also will have an advantage, being two to one and also having knowledge on my skills...So we'll just have to see, yes?" he answered. Sasha and Nick nodded to eachother at this.

"Ok then...We can't wait to show you what Nick and I are capable of now..." Sasha chimed happily.

* * *

 

The next morning, after breakfast, Anna took the bag of food for Mr. Gump from the side of the nightstand and pulled it out after emptying the last bag. She put it where the old food used to be, but when she looked back into the bag, she frowned. She pulled out a small bag filled with small leaves...Jay looked over and saw her toss it onto her table.

"What's that stuff?" he asked, looking over the bag.

Anna shrugged, looking back at the bag, "I don't know...It was in with Mr. Gumps food...I must have gotten it at the pet store..." she said. Nick picked up the bag and glanced at the contents.

"It looks like it could be something to add to his food, maybe...It's no drug I've ever seen..." he explained.

Jay frowned, "Really, man? Bag of leaves from a fucking pet store and you go straight to, 'Hey, maybe it's a drug...' That's intelligent..." he said facetiously.

Nick laughed sarcastically, "What did **you**  think it was, bright eyes..." he snapped.

Jay shrugged, looking over the leaves with his semblance. "Really, I don't know what they are...I've...Seen them before though...I know it...Those are most certainly familiar to me, I just can't remember where from..." he muttered, not moving his eyes from the bag. Nick dropped the bag onto the table as they left for their classes. They only had three that morning, all before lunch. 

"So perhaps it  **was** something to add to Mr. Gump's food..." Sasha muttered to Anna in class. "I mean why else would they include it?" she went on. Jay was on Anna's other side, and Nick was on Sasha's. Professor Port was rambling about a King Taijitu he had tried to tame once, and wasn't paying attention. 

"Maybe we should...Like...Have it analyzed before we give it to him...To see if it's safe..." she muttered back. "I'll check it out before lunch...I have to go check on him before I join you guys anyway..." she offered. 

Sasha nodded, "Ok, I'll tell Nick and Jay..." she finished. Port's stories went on until the end of class, luckily, just before he was going to start a new one. Port was certainly willing to tell the students to stay put even after the bell, just so he could finish a story, so it felt like a godsend that he had just finished his story... Everyone stood and practically scrambled out the door. Anna turned and went back to the dorm, waving back at the team to go to lunch.

"Wait, wha-"

"She's just going to check on the tortoise, lover boy." Sasha interrupted Jay before he could ask what was happening. Jay rolled his eyes and nodded, heading to lunch with the rest of the team. They ate with Team SCRT again that day, but as lunch progressed and Anna didn't appear, Jay began to get worried and distracted.

"Jay, don't worry about it...We'll bring her a plate...And if she ain't at the dorm room, then she's probably off just taking a walk..." Nick tried to reassure him.

"I know that...I know she likes to take walks and all, but she did say she'd meet up with us here, didn't she? She could miss lunch..." he said, still glancing at the door. Nick sighed and gave up. Nick and Sasha walked behind Jay, who walked towards the dorm clearly more hurriedly. When the reached the door, Jay opened it quickly and looked into the room...Only to see Anna asleep on the floor...Sasha and Nick came up behind him and looked in at Anna.

"Well that's...Unexpected..." Sasha muttered. Jay walked over to her and leaned down, putting his hand to her forehead and trying to wake her up. 

"Jay...Uh..." Jay glanced up at Nick, who pointed at his bed. On the bed was a wandering Mr. Gump, and the open bag of leaves. Jay raised an eyebrow and took the bag of leaves, pulling out a couple of them and feeling them between his fingers. Sasha sat on Nicks bed and looked down at her. Suddenly Jay snapped upright as the scent hit him and he remembered what it was.

"Catnip!! This stuff is called catnip!!!" he exclaimed in triumph. Anna stirred in her sleep at his yells. She sat up shakily and sway a little this way and that. Everyone watched carefully. Anna looked around drowsily at the team, still swaying slightly. Her eyes came to Jay and she smiled a wide smile, her cheeks becoming red. 

"You ok, Anna?" he asked. Anna giggled and laughed, covering her mouth with her hands, then put both arms around Jay's neck, almost hanging off him.

"I...I'm...Love you Jay..." she muttered, stuttering a little. Nick began to laugh at the scene. Jay stood up, pulling her onto her feet with him. 

"What the...What's wrong with her..." Sasha asked, standing and taking Anna's shoulders, pulling her upright. She wobbled on her feet and continued giggling, looking around.

"I...Don't know..." Jay muttered, taking one of Anna's hands and keeping her on her feet.

"Isn't it obvious? It's like...A soporific effect..." Nick explained, glancing between Jay and Sasha.

"So she's...What, drunk off catnip?" Jay asked. Anna took her hand from Sasha and leaned into Jay, still smiling. She nudged her head against Jay's chin, ears down flat.

"She's acting more cat-like than usual...Come on Jay, everyone knows when a cat nudges you with their head, they're asking for affection..." he said, smiling and gesturing towards him. Jay looked at Anna, who continued to press closer to him. He put one hand on the back of her head and the other around her back, and pet the top of her head with one hand. Anna put her arms around him and pushed him back onto his bed. Sasha walked over and picked Mr. Gump up, putting him back into his container.

"Should we uh...Come back in an hour or two?" Sasha taunted, looking over them.

Jay continued to pet her head and was about to give a retort when Anna spoke to him again, "Jay..."

"Yes?" he responded.

"Jaaaaaaaay..." she continued.

Jay pat her on the back, "Yes, Anna?" he said a little louder.

"You...Should like...Kiss me and stuff...Only more...Kiss me more...Kiss me...On my lips...But also...Not on my lips" she said, still slurring a little and giggling and smirking. Sasha burst out in laughter at this.

"Anna, you're not feeling well.." he stated, putting his hands on her shoulders. She pushed his hands off and took them in hers, lacing their fingers and pinning him back to the bed.

"I'm fine feel!!" she insisted. She leaned in and pressed their lips together for a few moments. Nick looked away out of respect, but Sasha couldn't tear her eyes from it.

"Come on...Give me body-kisses...Hehe, use your teeth also...That will be fun..." she muttered.

"I...Can't...You're not in your right mind...I can't in good conscience do something like that while you're in this state..." he continued. Anna frowned and made a pouty face.

Nick turned back and nudged Sasha's side, "Bro's got a point...Perhaps we should do something..." he added. 

Sasha looked back and forth for a few seconds, "I don't know...They don't look uncomfortable..." she stated.

"Of course not...She's high off her head and he's whipped. Of course they don't look uncomfortable...But he's right..." he pointed out. Anna had returned to kissing for the moment.

"You're right...Ok, come on now, Anna..." Sasha walked over and grabbed Sasha's side and plucked her off of Jay easily, putting her down. Jay stood and nodded to Sasha.

"Alright, I think it's best we take her to see the nurse..." Jay said.

Nick nodded, "Would you like us to join you?" he asked. Anna walked past Sasha over to Jay and wrapped her arms around his stomach, still giggling a little.

"Nah...I think I can handle it..." he said. Anna suddenly moved her hands down and grabbed Jay's ass. He jumped a little and took her hands in his.

She giggled, "My nerd...That ass is mine..." she muttered, smiling happily.

"Wow...Who knew Anna was that intimate..." Nick muttered.

Jay pulled her over towards the door, "Alright, we'll be back and hopefully we'll sort this out..." he said, opening the door and taking Anna with him.

Sasha watched the door close behind him and looked at Nick, "Well that was fun..." she chimed.

* * *

 

Anna walked behind Jay at a slightly slower pace. She had taken to moving in circles while heading after Jay, stating she wanted to see if making herself more dizzy would stop the dizzy. It seemed to work to some extent, because while she was moving in circles, she was also following along behind Jay quite steadily. She stopped suddenly when they came to another hallway and she say a girl in a long red cape who was walking next to a tall blonde girl.

Her jaw dropped, "Jay!!! That's the biggest piece of cake I've ever seen!!! And it has pineapple!!! I want some red velvet cake!!" she exclaimed, starting to walk towards the girl. Jay reached back and took her hand.

"I will be sure to get us a large red velvet cake when I'm in town later, ok? And I'll also try and get some pineapple. Come on...Let's keep going though..." he prompted. She followed along with a wide smile, which Jay couldn't help but smile at himself. Suddenly Anna threw her arms out and groaned loudly.

"I'm suddenly...Soooooooo angry...That I don't have wings!!! Stupid birns!!! Stupid Grin birds!!! Gimme your wings!! I want to fly!!!" she shouted agitatedly. 

"Alice knows how to fly...Perhaps she could teach you...Then you wouldn't need wings...And you would be able to stick your tongue out at the uh...Birns." Jay assured, still smiling. Anna waved her arms as though she was trying to fly.

"YEEEEEEEES!!! Alice can give me bird wings...Hehehe, Alice has wings under that leather jacket...OOOH!!!" she exclaimed again, raising one finger as though having an epiphany.

"What is it?" Jay asked, encouraging her to move towards the doctor's office a little more. She began marching in the direction he was taking her.

"That makes Mickey..." she trailed off.

"Yes?..." Jay prompted her to continue.

"The wind beneath her wings!!!" she shouted, and doubled over in laughter. Jay smirked a little with a chuckle, then smiled widely as he laughed with her. He leaned back against the wall for a minute.

"You should tell that one to Mickey when we see her next..." he said, still chuckling at the joke. He took her hand again and continued on. Anna reached over and took his other hand, continuing with him.

"I...Love...So much...Hand holding...Love it...Your hands...Are so holdable...And I could just hug you...Because you'd hug me back...With those holdable hands..." she muttered as they turned another corner.

"Holdable hands are good for hugging?" he asked, keeping her hands in his.

"No, silly!! Your hands...Your hands are holdable...Your...Rest...Uh...Self huggable...I mean...The rest of you...Is huggable...And if...You hugged me...Then I would be held...In those holdable hands...Which does their purpose...Og holding things...Well." she explained confidently, as though it made perfect sense. Jay shrugged.

"Very well...Let us test this theory." he said before pulling her close and hugging her tightly. She hugged back immediately.

"Aaaaaaaah!! Hug!!! You are like...A perfect hugger. I love this hug. Best hug. Ever." she muttered, trying to squeeze more tightly.

"Well I suppose it could be called beginners luck...I don't hug people often...In fact...Pretty much ever..." he said, holding her out and continuing.

"Weeeeeeeell. That's. Gonna change, mister. I'm gonna give you...So many hugs...You won't know...Even...What to do with all those hugs...Because I'm gonna hug you so much. And kisses...Those too...I'm gonna...Like...Give you...A hug...And a kiss...For each teeny smally tiny freckle...On your huggable self. And like...Look at you...You...Are  **covered** in those things...They are everywhere...You have them...All over...There even on your hands..." she said, taking his hands and poking the freckles one by one. "I don't know how I'm even gonna count all of those...And like...You never stop getting them...This one's new...Like from a second aho. I saw it be there...So I guess I'm just onnna not have to stop giving you hugs and kisses...Like...Ever." she exclaimed with an astonished expression.

Jay chuckled, "Ok, but just remember, that means that you're going to receive that amount of hugs and kisses plus one..." he responded. Anna giggled and smiled again that contagious smile as they reached the doctor's office. She was muttering the word pineapple over and over under her breath and glanced around at the beds for a few moments. One of the doctors approached them as Anna began running from bed to bed to jump on them, jumping from one to another. She almost landed on two students, but moved her feet at the last second on each jump. Jay turned to address the doctor, a woman who was a little taller than he was, with black hair in a bun. She wore black pants and blue shirt with a long white coat, and her nametag read "Susan."

"My teammate has had a reaction to something we got in town...For some reason, we ended up bringing back a small amount of catnip, and uh...This was the result..." he explained as Anna ran back over from her jumping.

"Jaaaaaaaay!!! Come hereee!!!" she demanded, grabbing his arms and dragging him over to one of the beds. She laid back and pat the bed next to her, "This...Is the softest bed in here. I testid it myself. Come oooooooon. Seeeeeeee." she insisted. Jay laid down next to Anna as the doctor came over to the bed next to Anna.

"How much was there?" she asked, turning Anna's head to the light to look at her.

"Not very much...Perhaps a small handful...Somewhere near 1/4 a cup..." he answered. The doctor considered for a moment as Anna sat up and looked at the doctor. She stared at Susan for nearly a minute before jumping from the bed and running over to the other beds, testing them again, not by jumping on them this time, but by laying down on them.

Jay sat up and crossed his legs, looking to Susan for an answer. "Unfortunately...There's nothing I can do about this." she answered his questioning expression.

Jay frowned, "Why not?" he inquired. Susan watched Anna go from bed to bed, grumbling about the lights in the room not being purple.

"It's an allergic reaction that cat faunus share...Something in the genetics of their cat-like traits makes them...Well...This. The White Fang put up a big fuss about it in the past, so catnip isn't really common place anymore..." she said, gesturing towards her. "It does wear off after a while...But it depends on how much there was...With a small amount like that...She should be back to fighting pace by tomorrow...Until then, there's nothing to be done...No anti-allergen works...There's nothing I can give her to make it wear off faster. We suspect it has something to do with the way it affects their aura, making them immune to alot of various drugs while in this state...And it doesn't really affect her health much...She may have a headache in the morning, but that'll probably be from regret more than the catnip...Just make sure she doesn't get into any trouble and she'll be fine..." Susan explained, going over to Anna as she got up from another bed and taking her hand. Jay stood and walked over to them. Anna smiled and hugged Jay again as he approached. He smiled hugged her back and then took her hands in his.

"Aww...I think she'll be fine with you looking after her...She seems to be quite happy with you..." she said, gesturing towards the door.

"Ok then...I suppose patience is the only cure. Very well then...Let's get back to the dorm room, Anna..." he said, pulling her from the room with him. On the way back to the dorm, Anna began to move in a zigzag pattern, pulling Jay with her, moving from one wall of the hallway to the other, moving around students as they went. The students stared slightly stunned at the picture, but Jay didn't pay them any attention, and Anna almost didn't seem to see them there, barely dodging them with each motion.

"Uuuuuuuugh!!..." Anna groaned.

Jay raised an eyebrow, "What's wrong?" he asked.

"This sool...School...Doesn't have...Co-ed showers. Why can't...There just be...People showers...Just...Showers...For...Humany looking things...Of human variety...And faunu variety...Just...For...People creatures. Why mus we...Separate everything like that...Uuuuuuuugh!!!" she groaned again. Jay was somewhat taken aback by this...

"Well I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that we're all still teenagers with very little impulse control or foresight...Plus the fact that we're all...Well... Lethal...There are already shower fights happening pretty much weekly...Imagine if we started throwing  **everyone** in with eachother...I doubt it would end well..." e answered.

Anna sighed, "But Jaaaaaaaay. Jaaay. It's...Uh...Just...We could like...Uh...You threw me off my train of thought!! I had a thing to think...And now I'm not thinking it... Ugh." she grumbled, slumping over as they walked.

After a minute, she suddenly yelled out and slammed her fist against the wall next to her.

"I don't like this corn maze!!! It's so dull and not fun!!! Let's just go this way!!!" she said, slamming her hand against the wall again. Jay took both her hands in his...

"Patience, Anna. It's not that much longer to the end of the maze...And besides, going through the corn is cheating, and we're not cheaters. We'll just keep going. It's not that far now..." he insisted, gesturing in the direction of the dorms. Anna continued on quickly, Jay moving in pace with her.

"I love Halloween...It's my gavorite...Og...All the Holidays. Halloween. Holiday. It just makes sense...We should dress up like wizards together!!! We'll have all sorts of aweosme...Magyks and stuff...Let's do that!!!" she insisted, pulling him back and forth, staring in question at him.

Jay chuckled and considered the request for a minute. "Sure...I like wizards...That sounds great. Let's be wizards for Halloween..." he responded. Anna jumped up and down excitedly. They rounded another corner and came to their dorm room. Anna threw open the door before Jay got the chance and ran in, jumping onto his bed.

"I won!!! Yes!!! The game is mine and I now get to stay up as long as I want!!!" she shouted. Nick and Sasha jumped at Anna's entrance. They were sitting on the edge of Nick's bed...

"Did we interrupt something?" Jay said, smirking as he closed to door behind him.

"No...We were talking about Xellos..." Nick said immediately. Anna sat up and looked at them mischievously.

"Aaaaaaaah, yeeeeaaaah...Gotcha...Talkin' about Xellos...Suuuuuuuure..." she said, winking at them. Sasha raised an eyebrow.

"Wait...They couldn't do anything to help?..." she turned to Jay. Jay shook his head...

"It's just got to run it's course...Apparently this pretty much happens to all cat faunus...Makes them immune to things that could help...So we've just got to wait it out. She'll be back in fighting shape tomorrow morning." he explained.

"How did you not know about this? With all that travelling you did..." Nick asked.

"Because the stuff isn't really common...I've seen it growing between kingdoms, but in kingdom, no one really uses it for anything because of exactly this. So it just kinda...Didn't come up." he stated. Nick stared at him in astonishment for a minute before just shaking his head. 

"Well then...I guess we'll just wait..." Sasha stated. Anna jumped up and moved in close to Sasha, without heed for any personal boundary and reached around her to run her hand through Sasha's hair.

"You...Have got such...Pretty hair...I like your hair...I mean...It's not purple...But it's really pretty. I like your hair." she muttered, running both hands through Sasha's ponytail. Sasha chuckled and backed up a little, sitting next to Nick.

"DAAAAAAAAMN!!! Your arm is metal!!! Like...And...It's not just a metal arm...It's like a regular arm...It could be your regular arm for all we know...But you could just like...Have a metal case over it...But it opens...And it's not a real arm...It's so confusing..." she muttered, turning in a circle.

"........This is fun..." Nick said, chuckling and looking over at Jay.

Jay sighed, "I've got to go into town to get my tonfas from Grant..." he said, rubbing his forehead.

"I thought he said later tonight though?" Nick asked.

Jay nodded, "But I've also got a few other things to do. First, I'll need to pick up the new dust clips from Mickey's...Alice is on duty today, so I can ask her...And I've also got to pick a red velvet cake, plus a pineapple..." he stated idly.

"Uh...What?" Sasha asked curiously.

"Don't worry about it...And I'd also like to maybe grab something to eat while there...So yeah, I've got plenty of things to waste time until then." he answered.

Anna suddenly began jumping on Jay's bed excitedly, "I WANT TO GO INTO TOWN TOO!!!" she yelled out.

Everyone's eyes widened at once...

"A-are you sure you should Anna? I-i mean, when you're...Uh..." Sasha trailed off, not really sure how to tell Anna the state she was in...Anna jumped down and ran over to Jay, nearly tackling him with another hug.

"NO. I will go with. He doesn't like humans...I will stop the humans...From being huamsna...So that he feels better about being in publis." she stated, kissing him on the cheek and holding him tightly.

"She can join me...I mean she's clearly intent on it anyway...I can keep her out of trouble..." he insisted, hugging Anna back.

"But...Dude...She's...Are...Is that smart? I know she really wants to, but dude...It would be better if she stayed here..." Nick said.

Anna scoffed, "No. I can...I'm not all...Like...I'm good to do the thing. I can go...Uhh...Like he said!!! I can all...Keep him outta trouble!!" she insisted.

Jay nodded, "See? She can keep me outta trouble...It'll be fine guys, I'll make sure nothing happens...And besides, she **really** wanted to fly earlier...Come on...If she wants to go with, even just on the flight...That'll make her happy. So just...Trust me." he assured them. Sasha and Nick sighed in unison, shaking their heads.

"Fine...Just...Keep her out of trouble. And be back by like...Nine." Sasha said, putting her hands to her hips.

"Yes mom!!" Anna shouted with a smile, releasing Jay and standing at attention.

Jay nodded and reached back for the door and opening it, "Like she said...Don't worry guys...She seems all out of it, but she's fine...We'll be back before nine..." he said, going out the door with Anna following. When the door was closed, Nick put his hand to his chin.

"........Do you think it was a good idea to let her leave with that giant death-axe?..." he asked idly.

* * *

 

Anna yelled happily out the open hatch of the bullhead as Alice flew them towards Vale. She shouted at nothing in particular and waved one arm out as though she were trying to fly. The other hand held onto the support bar on the inside of the door as she hung herself out. Jay sat cross legged behind her, just watching carefully. Wind whipped through the bullhead as it flew, disturbing Jay's coat-tails and hair, but it barely distracted Alice at all. She just continued her flight, humming to herself and listening to the activity behind her...Alice had always been quite adept at multitasking.

Anna pulled herself back in for a moment, "Take us down to the water!!!" she yelled over the wind.

Jay raised an eyebrow, "What? Why?" he asked as Alice glanced back at him.

Anna waved her arms towards the water, "Because...I ama bir-...Uh...A bird...A mighty prey bird!!! I have moghty-...Mighty taloms...Uh...And I...Want to catch a fish!!! With my furrocious...Deadly claws...Of prey!!!" she insisted. She looked at Jay with eagerness as her ear twitched.

Jay looked towards Alice. "Would that be possible?" he asked.

Alice sighed and nodded, "Of course it's possible...Who do you think I am...Ugh...The things I do for you kids..." she shouted back to him, taking the bullhead down towards the water. They skimmed close to the surface of the water and the wind around the bullhead sprayed the water up and around the inside of the bullhead. Jay pulled his coat over himself so as not to get wet, but Anna flung her arms out and enjoyed the feeling of the ocean mist. Alice brought them up just a bit to stop the mist after a moment. Anna laughed loudly and pulled her axe off her back, then sat down on the edge of the bullhead. Jay watched curiously as she pulled out a coil of wire...At the end, was attached a hook. She tied the wire to the head of the axe's staff, then flung the wire out into the water. The motion of the bullhead caused the wire to snap taught as it was pulled along by the bullhead. Anna giggled and hummed as she swayed this way and that, swinging her feet beneath her.

Alice looked to the small camera that displayed the compartment of the bullhead and her jaw dropped in surprise. She looked back at Jay, "Does...Does she think she's...Actually gonna catch something? " Alice called back to him. Jay looked to her and shrugged.

"I don't know...Maybe...Many people fish just for the enjoyment of fishing...I myself have done that before...So maybe she's just doing it for fun...And on the off chance she catches something, it'd probably even be safe for a cat faunus to eat...Their bodies are quite a bit more resilient to the things that would make such a thing dangerous to humans...So who knows...Either way, we should allow her to enjoy herself, yes?" he answered.

Alice sighed again and shrugged herself, "Ok...But I'm still pretty sure it's not possible for her t-" Alice was interrupted by Anna's triumphant shout as she yanked back on the axe and pulled a fish from the water. The fish was the size of her forearm, and she caught it in her left hand, holding tight with her nails.

Alice was stunned for a few seconds..."Fuck it, I give up..." she muttered to herself. Anna turned to display her catch with pride.

Jay's eyebrows were raised in surprise, "Well that beats the fuck outta my catch time..." he shouted to her over the wind.

Anna nodded, "Yes!!! I am the master of catching delicious fishes!!! My mighty taluns...Uh...I mean...Nothing espaces might talons!!!" she shouted happily. She sat back down on the edge and threw the line out again with her right hand, biting into the fish as she did. Jay chuckled as he watched her continue to bite into the fish, occasionally spitting out the bones. As they neared the halfway point to Vale, she tossed the remainder of the fish back out to the water so she could put both hands on her axe as she pulled another fish from the water. Jay was astounded, and heard Alice's sigh even above the wind. Probably asking herself why she agreed to take a longer flight path...Anna caught the fish and stood, this time stepping towards Jay and offering it to him.

Jay smiled, "Are you sure you're not still hungry yourself?" he asked, just to gauge her appetite.

Anna shrugged, "Maybe a little...And...The fush is delicious...But you haven't hav ode...So you should have this fishy..." she insisted. Jay stood and kissed Anna on the forehead, reaching for a vile of fire dust.

"Thank you Anna...It's not as safe for a human to eat it raw or untreated, so I'll do this..." he undid the top of the vile and began sprinkling the fire dust on one side of the fish as Anna held it. The skin was quickly cooked by the potent mixture that Jay had always kept in favor a lighter. After a moment, he turned it over in her hands and did the same to the other side. He smiled satisfied and took the fish from her hands, bending it slightly and biting into it, doing his best to repeat Anna's motion. She giggled and clapped a little, then went to go sit in the front seat next to Alice. She closed the door as Jay went to stand between the two seats, leaning on the side of the opening and continuing to eat.

"Take us...Up!! I with...Uh...Wish...To stick my tn-...Tongue...Out at the birds...Stupid birns...Always...Flying and shit...I fan...Fly too!!! And I want to rub it in." she asked eagerly, looking intently at Alice. Alice looked at Jay who shrugged again, taking another bite of the fish. Alice sighed and lifted the bullhead. Birds avoided the bullhead, but Anna still spotted them and stuck her tongue out, shouting at them in satisfaction, as if getting back at someone. Jay chuckled as he turned the fish over. Jay noticed Alice looking on with a smile and nudged her shoulder.

She glanced back at him and smiled a little brighter. "Alright...I'll admit it...This...Is kinda fin-Fun!!!...I meant fun...It's nice." she corrected herself, putting her eyes forward again. Jay nodded and continued eating and looking at Anna. Alice looked back after a moment and smirked, nudging Jay in return and glancing towards Anna so he could see.

"What?..." he asked. Alice smiled, raising an eyebrow at him. "Don't take that tone of silence with me...She wanted to get out of the dorm...And I thought...Perhaps the fresh air would help lessen the effects of...This...And perhaps make it easier to get over..." he explained.

Alice nodded, "Mhm, yeah, sure..." she said quickly, looking away and smirking. Jay sighed and asked her to open the hatch slightly to dispose of the remains of his fish. She chuckled and opened the door slightly for him, then closed it after he tossed the fish out. Anna smiled and swung her feet beneath herself, watching the sky pass as they came into Vale. When the door opened as Alice landed, Anna quickly leapt from her seat, jumping out of the bullhead happily. Anna recoiled her fishing line and put it away, replacing her axe on her back and stretching. Jay stepped off of the bullhead and stretched himself, stepping next to Anna and waving back to Alice. Anna waved both hands at Alice, who visibly chuckled in the bullhead, replacing her pair of aviators on her face.

Anna spun in a couple circles as Jay stood and watched. When she stopped, she suddenly stepped over to Jay and extended her hand in a flourished motion. Jay smiled and laughed a little, taking her hand as they started walking. Anna swung their arms happily as they walked, looking around as they went. Jay watched her as they went. Anna was looking with amazement at the tops of the buildings.

"Would you mind if I asked what you were thinking?" Jay asked. 

Anna giggled and shook her head, "Of course not, silly...I was thining...That...Like...There are...Soooooooo many people...There are...Just...Everywhere...People...And we're like...The best of them...The best of the people...Because we got the power!!" she finished, raising their hands. 

Jay nodded, "Yes...We are the ones who bring order to the kingdom...These people are under our protection..." he responded, imitating her excitement. Anna cmiled excitedly.

"Yes. We ust...Protect the people...Jay!!! We should get your pweapons...You mest...Haev them...Less go!!!" she shouted, beginning to move a little quickly. Jay held her hand tightly and held her back.

"Anna, there's no rush...Don't worry, I'm safe...Let's get something to eat first...That fish did nothing but show me how hungry I am...I'm not worried, I've got you here..." he said, smiling. Anna's smile brightened.

"AWWW!!! Don't worry, Jay. I'll protect you from...Uh...Not...Wait...I mean...I-i'll just protec you!!!" she insisted in annoyance. They decided to stop at a ramen stand for dinner, run by an old man. They ate and talked about the morality of protecting people from the dangers that other people would pose. They nodded in agreement when they came to the conclusion that it was morally correct..."People are mean..." Anna muttered as she ate more of the fish that she'd ordered. Jay nodded in agreement. After paying for their means, Jay and Anna went on their way again, heading towards Grant's.

Jay looked back at the stand for a moment, "I can swear I saw that guy running a dust shop at one point..." he muttered as Anna took his hand, pulling him along again.

"Jay?..." Anna said suddenly as they walked.

"Yes?" Jay asked.

"Do you think I should upgrate my axe asl...Uh...As well...Wlell...No, good...I mean..." she stuttered.

Jay stopped her when he spoke up, "Well it's not really my choice...It's your weapon...Personally, I believe your axe could use some...Versatility. I mean your technique is top-notch...With both your weapons...But perhaps it would be prudent to have a long range attack method?..." he asked.

Anna nodded, "Wyeah..We're...Uh...I...Learning!! We're learning about...Like...Wave-y ayttacks...With Ms. Godwishes..."

"Goodwitch?" Jay corrected.

"I said that..." she responded...Jay as silent for a moment before just nodding. "Anysay...Uh...Waves...Way...Damnit. Anywayu, waves. Yes. We're learning about wave-ish agttacks with Ms. Goodwhim...But...That other cat fauna...With the blank bow...Is way better at it then me...With that stupid little nijnsa sword...And copies...And gun" she muttered in annoyance.

"Oh yeah, you're talking about that girl who was at the pier during a robbery...Belladonna, I think it was..." he responded.

Anna nodded, "Yeah...Bekka...I mean...Bellodomma...She's way better at it...I can't seem to get my aurla to...Uh...Do the thing, you know?..." she asked, looking up at Jay.

Jay nodded again, "Yes, wave motion attacks can be quite difficult...But don't compare yourself to Belladonna, ok? One, she's the best in the class at Wave-motions. Don't ever compare yourself to the best...All you'll see is how far ahead they are...It's ok not to be the best, Anna. If you're having trouble, well...Your team is here to help...Nick is getting quite good at wave-motions, with that new sword of his...If you'd like, I bet he'd be happy to help...Ok?...Perhaps you can't do it now, but don't assume you'll never be able to do it." he asked, lifting her chin as they walked. Anna smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around him.

"You...Are soooooooo nice...Like...To other pople...You're all mean and snippy sometime...Hehe, stupid peple...I get to have your nice side...And...Like...You jus...Are so smart...I love your braik...Uh...Mine...Mind...'S big...And nice...And mine." she muttered happily. Jay blushed a little and nodded as they turned the last corner to onto the street where they'd find Grant's shop.

Jay reached out and pulled the door to Grant's shop open, letting Anna walked in first. Anna imitated a curtsy before she skipped into the shop. Jay followed her in and almost bumped into her when she suddenly stood rigid in place. Jay looked at the counter in front of him and found a sign. "I am currently in my workshop. If you are on the list below, please feel free to join me.If not, please return in an hour and try again." the sign read. Below was a handwritten list of names. Jay's semblance activated for a second and spotted his name immediately. Jay smiled and took Anna's hand and went towards the door at the back, passing Grant's small kitchen on one side and bed space on the other as they went to the stairs. They quickly descended to the door to Grant's workshop and went in without hesitation. Grant was at the far end of the room in a large suit, sparks flying from the blowtorch.  That approached the table, using their auras to keep themselves safe from the flying sparks to examine what he was working on. Grant was standing over two tonfas, each five feet in length. At the middle, there was a ring that housed the extension mechanism that extended them from their regular two and a half feet. At two feet from one end on both tonfas, was the handle, slightly larger and more intricate in design. Jay nodded in satisfaction as he examined them. Grant stopped and looked up at them, taking off the helmet.

"Gods, that thing's stuffy..." he huffed. "So?...What do you think?..." Grant asked.

Jay nodded, "Perfect..." he muttered. He picked one up from the counter and examined it before his eyes came to the ends...The diameter of the tonfa's barrel/staff bodies had been slightly increased, and the groves ran in small vine-like patterns over the surface, with circular patterns as well. At the end of each tonfa...There were six claw-like extensions sticking out around the barrels. Jay's eyes widened.

"Ah, you spotted it...Those are your new toys..." he muttered happily, picking up the other tonfa and holding it as Jay would. The claws suddenly grabbed at the air, pinching and releasing. "These claws could lift a full grown Ursa Major off it's feet and not let go...Or break." he explained. He handed it over to Jay, who activated the mechanism to collapse them to their original length. The extensions slid down the length of the staff bodies into the sides. The claws on either end remained revealed though. Jay put the ends together and the claws interacted with his aura, each gripping the other tonfa, before the re-extended. Jay held onto one side and swung in a wide circle. Grant and Anna ducked as the staff swung over them.

"Yes...Perfect. These are quite well made. Each tonfa was painted with red or gold fireproof paint instead of white and black, and had the circular vine-designs painted in the inverse color. The red tonfa had gold vines, and the gold tonfa had red vines. "Absolutely perfect...The detail work...The symmetry...Absolutely perfect..." Jay muttered again. Grant tossed to him the modified sheath.

"Those grappling claws will make up for the loss of blades...It can support shots of alot more power, so I suggest a lightning dust charge..." he explained.

Jay nodded as he sheathed his new Photos and Umbra, "Well if I used lightning dust in the external clip, I could use that to create a coilgun with a metal dust ammunition instead." 

Anna looked confused, "What's a coalgun?" she asked.

Jay thought for a minute, "A little like a railgun...But not quite...Instead of using two bars with massive electric charge, you use a bunch of coils surrounding the projectile instead...It takes less power, does less damage, but is still a potentially devastating weapon..." he explained.

"A...Raingun is the weapon...Xellos used against us...So...That makes that...Like that...But not...Ok..." she smiled brightly in understanding. Jay chuckled, but Grant frowned...

"Uh...What happened to her?...She doesn't seem...In her right mind..." he asked.

"Catnip..." Jay said simply.

"Ooooooooh." he said, looking back to Anna. "Well, I hope she's back at her best soon then..." he muttered.

Anna clapped her hands together suddenly and pulled her axe off her back, "Oh!!! Gram!!! What can you do to improve FF!!!" She asked, handing him the axe suddenly. He almost dropped it, surprised at it's weight.

"Uh...Well...For starters...Your blade...It could cover more...This armor hook here on the other side...Well...Hm...Actually..." his expression changed to one of consideration as he looked it over. "This...Could be perfect for...That new stuff..." he muttered to himself, silently. After another minute in silent consideration, during which Anna stood with rapt attention, he looked up and nodded. "Yes...Right now, I'm booked up...Bring it back in a week, and I'll give it a special new look, with a special new material." he said, suddenly looking excited. Jay pulled out his scroll and handed it to Grant.

"Take what you think is fair for these beauties..." he said.

"Thank you kindly..." he smiled, typing in a number, which Jay didn't look at. Jay approved the transfer and Grant nodded to him, "Don't worry, I didn't take anything too absurd. Always a pleasure to do business with your team..." he chuckled, and waved to them as they left. Jay smiled, holding Anna's hand and walking at her speed, swinging his arms with hers. She giggled with enthusiasm as they walked.

"You seem happy..Is it because your new...Thingys?" she asked. Jay nodded.

"Yes...I can't wait to try them out against you..." he said, glancing at her and smirking. Anna raised her eyebrows.

"But wait!!! We can't do the awesome fight sequellse...Uh...Sequential?...Squence...We can't do the thing..." she said, "Not until Grant does the awesome thing to my wax...Axe...Hehehe, I don't fight with a camdle...Candle..." she corrected.

Jay considered this for a minute and nodded, "Indeed. You're correct. I must wait...In that case, I'll test it with Nick and Sasha." he corrected himself. Anna smiled and clenched her empty hand, raising both of her hands, and one of Jay's, skyward. Jay joined her with his remaining hand.

"YES!!! I can't watit...Uh...Wait...To see your new tosy..Toys...Damnit..." she muttered. "My tongue keeps getting all twisted..." she muttered. Jay chuckled and glanced off, turning a little red. "Aaah, you're thinking about something that's making you all blushy...I bet it has something to do with my twisted tongue..." she smirked as she nudged his side a little.

"Well your tongue doesn't appear to be twisted when talking about it, so perhaps not..." he teased, looking off again.

Anna chuckled, "I see what you did thre...There..." she muttered. Jay stopped suddenly, stopping Anna with them. His face turned serious, and even angry as he looked ahead. Anna heard chuckling and followed his gaze...Standing in their path...Were the same group of adults from a day ago...

* * *

 

Jay scoffed and gritted his teeth, considering just going right through them...But he doubted they'd just let that happen. He glanced at Anna, who was frowning and growling at the three. He wasn't sure how well she'd manage in a fight with this condition. Which means it would be best if he quickly dealt with all three...The three laughed as they looked at Anna, still growling and holding onto Jay's right hand with her left.

"I'd rather not have to crack you three, so do me a favor and just walk away..." Jay commanded. Anna nodded vehemently in agreement, but the one who clearly led the other two wasn't very happy with that. He frowned and stepped towards them. Jay released Anna's hand and stepped forward.

"You don't belong walking around with that animal..." he muttered aggressively.

Jay chuckled, "I would say you wish your girlfriend had a wild animal side, but that would be almost violently Freudian for my own good...It would also assume you had a girlfriend..." he retorted. One of the guys behind him choked back a laugh and the other one smacked his shoulder. Anna however didn't bother containing her laughter and doubled over with it.

"Hehe, that was a burtal burn...Like...Hehe, where's a medic...Or some Ice dust...But that wouldn't work, because that burnis too much for icey dust." she laughed.

The man looked angrily at Anna, "Shut up you cow..." he yelled angrily. Jay immediately slammed his palm just below the man's breastbone and tossed him back into the other two men. He coughed and sputtered, breathing deep heavy breaths.

"Last warning. Stop being fools and leave. Now." Jay said, revealing golden eyes with red cracks. He watched them carefully. He didn't even bother with his new weapons. He'd already promised their first use to his teammates, and wasn't about to waste that on people like this. He decided to just put them down by hand...If they were really stupid enough to continue.

The man stood up, still trying to catch his breath and glared at Jay. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gun, aiming right at Jay. Jay didn't react. That gun would make no difference to him. It wasn't even powerful enough to pierce his aura...After all, it was no huntsman weapon. Jay chuckled slightly to himself at the effort.

"Cute...But why don't you children run along. Daddy's getting angry..." he muttered. Jay was about to make a move when all of a sudden the man tried to re-aim, but failing to be quick enough...As Anna's jump kick landed square on the side of his head. The force threw him into the brick wall of the building next to him. Jay could see a concussion coming out of that...He turned back to Anna, who landed and now stood in front of him in a combat stance.

"No!!! None of that!!!" she shouted. "I'm protecting this fox." she said.

Jay's face turned a little red, "Fox?..." he muttered. Anna charged forward, slamming the heel of her foot into the one on the left and ducking under a rather quick attack from the one on the right. She turned and pressed her back to the man grabbing his right wrist over her shoulder and slamming her left elbow into his stomach a couple times, stepping back with each step. She twisted the man's wrist, displacing it, then raised her right leg up straight, catching it with her right hand. Jay tried to look away, but could tear his eyes from Anna as she released her leg, swinging it back down and then up behind her with all her might, kicking back between the man's legs. He screamed for a second before going mute and grabbing his crotch, collapsing to the ground. Anna turned to see the third man had gotten up, and was punching towards her. Jay stepped forward right up to Anna's back and reached around her head with his left hand, catching the strike, and moving his right hand around to Anna's stomach and pulling her against him, giving her a kiss on the back of the neck. Anna giggled and quickly kicked the man in the balls, then Jay moved right a little, still keeping both hands still, and slamming his foot into the man's stomach again, tossing him onto his back. He too was grabbing at his crotch in pain, and they could hear him crying.

"Thank you Anna...For...Jumping in like that to protect me...But you know I would have been able to take them right?" he asked as they kept walking.

"I suppose...I know...You're like...All seeing the things...But I got your backs...And uh...Thanks for stopping that guy from whacking me in the fac..." she muttered, putting her arm around him as they continued.

"So uh...Fox?" he asked, turning slightly red.

Anna giggled again, her cat ears twitching, "Yup...You mah fox...And I'mma keep yousafe...With...I mena...You...I know you werem't gonnu use that weapons of yours...Because fo your cool death match with Nicksasha...So I watched out for ya..." she stated happily.

Jay put his arm around her shoulder as they walked, "Thank you...Hm...Well now we know you can still handle yourself, even when you've had catnip..." he said matter of factly. She giggled again and nodded.

"I'mma a...I mean...Wait, yeah...I'mma badass...The bas...Wait...Badassiest cat badass...I'mma figure out the wavey stuff even better than that other cat faunus. So there!!" she insisted, raising her remaining hand in the air. On the way back to the airfield, Jay stopped suddenly along the way.

Anna frowned, "What? Was'up?" she asked. Jay smiled and nodded his head towards the shop on their left. Anna raised an eyebrow and looked up to read the name of the cake shop they stood next to. Anna smiled brightly and jumped up and down excitedly. Jay bought them two of the largest pieces of red velvet cake they were allowed, and also bought the rest of the cake to take home. Anna smiled with satisfaction as they ate. Jay smiled just to see it...

Before they left, Jay approached the counter, "Do you have any pineapples?" he asked simply.

The man looked at him in surprise, "Well...Uh...Yes, we do...We make pineapple coconut cake with fresh pineapples...Why..." he asked. Anna held onto the box with their cake and stood watching, looking back and forth between them.

"I'll take a whole pineapple. Thank you." he said quickly. The man stuttered for a few seconds, considering the options. After a minute, he sighed and walked to the back for a few minutes. Jay and Anna waited patiently until he returned with a pineapple, and handed it to Jay.

"That'll be six lien..." he said. Jay nodded and handed him a ten lien bill.

"Keep the change for being so helpful..." he said with a smile as they walked out.  When they were done, They walked in silence to the airfield, simply enjoying eachother's presence until Alice arrived. She wore her aviators again and waved them quickly onto the plane.

"Come now kids, let's get going...Your team's gonna wonder where you've been..." she said, almost taking off before Jay had completely climbed in. It was clear she was eager to get home to Mickey...Jay and Anna chuckled and whispered about the reasons why that would be as they flew back to Beacon with their cake and pineapple...

* * *

 

Anna threw the door open and jumped into the room, rolling to her feet and standing at attention.

"Ha!!! I win!!!" she shouted back as Jay trotted into the room behind her, carrying the cake and pineapple.

He chuckled, "Yes, you win...That means you get extra cake..." he stated to her. Anna giggled and sat down on his bed. Jay walked in after her and glanced around.

"Hm?...Where are Nick and Sasha..." he wondered, looking around the room. 

"How knows...Maybe they...Went to eat...Food..." Anna thought out loud. Jay shrugged and sat across from Anna.

"Let's have that axe then, eh?" he asked. Anna nodded happily and handed him her axe. Jay swung it out to longsword form and put the cake next to him, looking to Anna and holding the pineapple in his hand, "You ready?..." he asked. Anna nodded vehemently and put her hands in front of her, both open, one below the other. Jay tossed the pineapple towards her and activated his semblance, quickly slicing through the fruit a couple times. Anna caught it in her hands, holding it together. She lifted her top hand, which held the leaves at the top, pulling the top off the pineapple and taking a ring off the top, tossing the green top of the pineapple out the open window. She offered it to Jay and he took a ring off the top, breaking it in half as Anna did and eating from the middle.

"Well wherever they went, they didn't expect to be gone long, so we can expect them back and minute now..." he stated, looking up at Anna.

Anna nodded and swallowed a large mouthful of pineapple, "Yesh...Because of...The opem window, right? They would...Uh...Woulm't...Have leapt it open..." she said, looking out at the top of the pineapple.

Jay smiled and nodded, "Yup...Aaaaaaaany time n-" he was interrupted by the door opening again, Nick and Sasha walking in while laughing and suddenly catching the eyes of Jay and Anna. The room was silent for a few seconds while Jay and Anna continued to eat their pineapple.

"Hey..." Anna said with a wide smile, looking back and forth between them. "What'cha upto?" she asked, still with a grin. 

"We just went out for dessert..." Nick answered.

"So I guess you won't be wanting any cake then...Or did you forget about that..." Jay responded quickly.

Sasha frowned, "Cake?...Oh yeah!! We could have just waited for them..." Sasha said.

"But then you would nit...Uh...Would mot have had...Aloooooooone time togetha..." Anna teased, giggling a little...

Nick nodded and gestured towards her, "Exactly...Thank you Anna...Is that...Pineapple?" he said, glancing back and forth between Jay and Anna, who both nodded. "Wow...So when you said you were getting cake and pineapple..."

"You thought I was joking?...Anna wanted cake and pineapple...So we got cake and pineapple..." he explained.

"And FIPHIES!!!" Anna said through a mouthful of pineapple.

"Yeah, and fishes..." he added.

"Fishes?" Sasha asked, scratching her head and looking at the box next to Jay.

"We went fishing..." he said with a shrug.

"Fo delishes fishes..." Anna continued with a laugh, caught up in her own joke.

"Which we ate already for dinner." Jay finished. No one said anything for a few minutes as Anna passed Jay his third ring of pineapple and dug into her fourth, saving the eighth for Jay...

"OH!!! Jay!!! Come on man, let's see 'em..." Nick said, crossing his arms. Sasha clapped her hands in sudden remembrance.

"OH!!! Yeah Jay, come on!! Let's see, let's see!!!" she insisted, as they both stepped closer to him. Jay chuckled, taking time to finish his pineapple.

"Quite eager, are we?..." he asked, intentionally teasing them. Nick and Sasha both crossed their arms. Jay watched them for a few seconds, swallowing the rest of his pineapple ring and standing before them. He stood taller than Sasha, but shorter than Nick. He motioned for them to step back, which they did immediately. Jay reached back on his belt and removed his new tonfas, displaying them.

"Holy fuck!!" Nick said, his jaw dropping. Sasha just looked on in amazement. Jay chuckled as Nick stepped closer to look them over, examining the inverse colored vine like designs on the sides. His eyes came to the end of the tonfas and spotted the claws. He raised an eyebrow and reached out to touch one. Jay cleared his throat and Nick stopped. "Wow...So when do we get to see 'em in action?" he asked.

"I was thinking tomorrow morning..." he answered. Sasha slammed her fists together with an evil looking smirk on her face.

"I can't wait to  **crush you,** you pompous ginger." she taunted.

Jay laughed at that, "That was hilarious...You talk like you fight...Without elegance or skill..." he retorted.

Nick rolled his eyes, "Ladies, ladies...No catfights yet, let's save it for the ring, eh?" he said, looking Jay in the eyes to make sure he'd received the taunt.

"Hmph...Well if I can fight half as well as the most prominent cat in the room, it won't be a fight...It'll be a sweep...And I've got some fancy new brooms..." he said, gesturing towards Anna.

"Really?...Fancy new brooms..." Sasha said, crossing her arms and putting her weight on one leg.

Anna laughed, "That was...Good, Jay...Hehehe, proliment cat...That was me, wasn't it...Hehehe," she giggled to herself and stood up, standing next to Jay and clearing her throat, "Nick...This ain't no cat, this here is mah fox. All clever and quick...And he'll crush you like droppin' a hammer...Because his skillz are so sick..." she said, standing at her full height and smiling triumphantly, ears twitching. Everyone stared at her in shock for a few seconds.

"Were...Were those...Rap lyrics?!?" Nick asked in surprise. "Holy fucking shit, did she just fuckin' drop some sick fires?!?" he continued.

Jay nodded with a smile and put his arm around her shoulder, "They were most certainly some very ill incendiaries..." he said, nudging Anna's head with his. Anna giggled and nudged his head back.

"Wow...So Anna can rap when she has catnip?" Sasha wondered aloud, trying to get her thoughts together.

"Apparently...She's ready to fuckin' drop a rhyme..." Nick said, turning away from them and putting his hands to his head. "Ok...Ok. You know what...I fuckin'...I got respect for that...I respect your beats, Anna. You win this round..." he said, nodding, still comprehending what just happened. Anna smiled brightly and threw her hands in the air.

"WINNER!!! I GET EVEN MORE CAKE NOW!!! STAYIN' UP ALL NIGHT!!!" she shouted happily, sitting down on Jay's bed again and eyeing the box of cake. Jay chuckled.

"You heard the lady...She gets extra cake...We each had two pieces in there...I've had one, and she's won the other of mine...And she just won your second piece...So that means she gets three more pieces...Sasha has two, and Nick has one." he explained.

"Ugh...I'm not really in the mood for cake...You can take me piece Jay...So you can eat it with your girlfriend..." Nick groaned.

"Aaaaw, tat'...Uh...That's way sweet fo you Nick...But I was fonna share one of my pieces with him...So if you wantse...Uh...Wanted...Cake, you cam habe some too..." she said with a kind smile.

"Maybe tomorrow then..." he answered. Jay turned and picked Anna's sword off of the nightstand where he put it and opened the box of red velvet cake. Anna immediately dashed over to Sasha's desk, at the bottom left corner drawer where they kept the paper plates and pulled two out along with two forks, marching over to Jay with one and offering it to Jay to place a piece of cake on. Anna set his plate down next to him and he cut a piece off onto the plate. He wiped the cake from the blade thoroughly before placing it back against the nightstand. Anna sat next to Sasha and Nick next to Jay as they continued to talk, wandering from subject to subject. Eventually, they came to the subject of their recent mission.

"I don't know, we never really got back to team SCRT about that...They said that the Grimm were armored, and dangerous...But they released like..." Sasha trailed off.

"Two dozen or so deathstalkers..." Nick finished for her. "Yeah, I know...I wasn't sure why they did that...I mean...They said that...They were harmless...Didn't attack. But they're Grimm, right? Wouldn't they eventually return to their...Human killing roots if in the wild?" Nick asked.

Jay shrugged, finishing off his slice of cake, "Well...I mean...If we got a call about them...And we sent in some huntsman in response...Who knows...If they go back to their mindless state, then maybe they'll be easy pickings..." he conjectured. 

Anna shook her head, also taking the last big bite of cake, "Mo mo...I meam...They would..." she stopped and swallowed the cake, "No no...I think...If they went back to their...Killy slate...Then...We're onna...Most defintely be called in...But not us...And since...They'm wouldc't...Uh...Wouldn't be distuinuishable...Uh...From the other Grimm...So...We could be sending two or three hum ntsmen to their deaths...Or huntess...I don know...But yeha...They'd be...A killy fork...Force...And we might be called back in..." she stated, looking around.

Sasha nodded, "Or who knows...Maybe they wouldn't even go back to their killing ways...They may get lucky...I mean as far as we know, they only kill humans...And they don't really even need to...They don't have to eat...So if they were trained not to attack humans...Maybe they won't...I mean...The twins seem to trust...Uh...John?" she tried.

"George..." Jay corrected, appearing lost in thought.

"Thanks...George. The twins seem to trust...George...So maybe we should too...So like...Let them be for a little while...If we get a call about a herd of Deathstalkers. We'll go to Ozpin about it..." Sasha finished. Anna glanced up at Jay, who was still in his own head.

"Jay...Liem for you...Uh...I meant, lien for your thoughts..." she asked.

Jay looked up for a moment, "Hm?" he asked.

Nick sighed, "Damn man...Fuck, what goes on in your head..." he said facetiously.

Jay rolled his eyes, "Was there a question in there somewhere?" he asked.

"Yeah...Anna wanted to know what was eatin' ya..." Sasha answered.

"Oh...Just...Xellos. What he was saying on the ship...During our fight..." he wondered, still half in his head.

"What, his begging? Those stupid threats?" Nick asked.

"Yeah...Thing is...I'm not so sure...That..." he trailed off.

"Look Jay, he was in a bad position...He was basically being screwed to the wall and he knew it. Of course he was gonna say whatever he could to get himself out of it." Sasha explained.

Jay shook his head, "He wasn't in a bad position. He wasn't begging for his life...I think he was begging for ours...Like I said before, he was  **not** fighting with all he could...He was holding back, trying to get us to leave...He didn't want to kill us...Maybe he even wanted to save us from something. What I do know is...That wasn't his full power, and we all know it. Are we trying to reassure ourselves of it out of confidence or fear?...Because either way...If we're wrong...We could all be dead before the end of the year...And we may not even see it coming." he stated solemnly. Everyone was quiet for a few moments.

Nick cleared his throat, "Well...Then I guess we'd better watch out, right? Is that what you're saying?" he asked.

Jay nodded. Anna sighed and stood up, going over and putting her hands on Jay's shoulders, pushing his chin up a little with her thumbs, "Jay...Would it make you feel better...If we went to see him?" she asked.

"Whoa, what? You want to go and see Xellos? What, like...In prison? Do you really think that'll be allowed? With the Vital Festival coming up, and that...Stuck-up General with half of the say over security? I mean we're lucky Ozpin still has any command at all, if you ask me...We're not gonna be allowed to see him..." Nick said. 

Jay thought for a minute, "Perhaps...But Ozpin still has command. We could ask him. I can't let this rest, Nick...We  **have** to talk to him. He didn't...I don't think he was spouting those pleas for his own sake, and we have to find out what he was talking about..." Jay insisted, looking over at Nick. Anna took his head and pulled him back over to look at her and gave him a quick kiss.

"Don't worry, Jay...If you feel we should go see Xellos, then we...Uh...I'll make sure we get to go see Xellos. Ok?" she reassured. He nodded and glanced at Nick beside him, then to Sasha.

"...Fine, whatever..." Nick said.

"Alright...If you insist...Let's go see the insanely powerful killer" Sasha said.

Jay sighed and nodded, "Thanks guys...I know you don't like this idea...So I tell you what...We'll...Wait till the day before the second semester, ok?..." he offered. Sasha and Nick glanced at eachother and shrugged before nodding to Jay.

* * *

 

Anna stirred in her sleep and stretched a little, faunus ears twitching. Her eyes were fogged, so she tried to rub them clear, but found that the light hurt her eyes a little too much, and stopped. Instead she put her arms back around Jay...'Wait a minute...' she thought. Her eyes opened widely and she  looked at Jay, asleep next to her. Had she been holding him? Again? She didn't remember it though...As a matter of fact...She didn't remember...Anything from the previous evening...She sat up and realized they were both in their sleep wear...But...When did they change? What happened...She looked back at Jay, who still slept soundly. His arm had been under her, and his other had been around her. She scratched her head for a minute, closing her eyes tightly and trying to remember, but it wouldn't come to her. She looked back at Jay again...'Would he know what happened?...He's got a...Pretty good memory...' she thought. She leaned down and kissed his cheek, taking his shoulder and gently shaking him up. He mumbled for a few seconds and opened his eyes, then reached up and rubbed his eyes clear.

"Ah...Good morning, Anna...You feeling better?" he asked, looking still a little groggy.

Anna shrugged, "I'm not sure...I don't..." she trailed off. Jay sat up and chuckled a little.

"You don't remember? I kinda...Suspected that would happen...What's last in your head?..." he asked.

Anna considered it a minute, "I think...Uh...I remember...Feeding Mr. Gump...And...I was gonna...See if the bag was ok to give to him...So I opened it...But I wasn't just going to take a huge whiff, that would have been dangerous...So I waved some of it towards my head but...I don't remember anything else..." she explained.

Jay nodded, "So you forgot everything from when you smelled the catnip on, eh?" he said, sitting on the side of the bed next to her and putting an arm around her.

"Catnip?" Anna asked. 

Jay stood up and nodded, then went over to Nick's hammock and whacked his arm to wake him up, then went to Sasha's bed and grabbed her arm, pulling her off of her bed onto the ground. She started and sat up, rubbing her head. Anna watched in confusion. Jay didn't normally wake them up...It was out of routine. He didn't like being out of routine. He turned back to her and chuckled.

"They asked me to wake them up when you got up...Said they wanted to watch your reactions." he explained. Nick dropped from his hammock and went to sit on Sasha's bed next to her, as she got up and sat next to him. Jay sat on his bed and patted the spot next to him, gesturing Anna to come sit next to him, which she did, turning red.

"So uh...What happened?..." Anna asked, tentatively.

"Well...We came back to the room, and you were...Basically knocked out...You were asleep..." Nick started.

"When you woke up, you were all...Cat like...More so than usual...It was almost like you were a kitten...Like...Seriously. One of the first things you did was to start nudging Jay for affection...It was very kitten-like..." Sasha giggled as he explained. Anna turned more red and glanced away, covering her face with her hands for a few moments...

She then looked over at Jay, "Uh...A-and...Did...Did you give any?" she asked. Sasha and Nick burst out laughing at the question, both trying and failing to contain it.

"Yes, I did...But only to an extent...I pat your head, I held you, pet you, and gave you kisses...Nothing more..." he explained.

Nick nodded through his laughing, "He's telling the truth, he didn't do anything more..." he sputtered. Anna giggled and put her arms around Jay.

"Aw, thank you, you gentlemen..." she said happily, kissing Jay again on the cheek. Jay turned red and looked away.

"It was...Just what I was taught..." he muttered.

"Ok, so what happened next?" Anna asked.

Jay cleared his throat, "Oh, yes...Uh, well I took you to the nurses office, and...Well it wasn't going to wear off until today...But...Well, you saw a couple other students, a girl dressed in red, and a girl with a huge mass of blonde hair, and had the sudden desire for cake and pineapple..." he explained.

"Cake?..." Anna asked.

Jay nodded, "Yep, red velvet cake..." We still have some...You have another piece waiting for you...And you demanded to go into town with me to retrieve my new weapons...You went...Fishing..." he explained. Anna's eyes widened.

"I...I u-used my fishing wire?" she asked. "Wow, I haven't used that since...It seems so long ago now...I haven't used it since I came to Beacon." she said, lost in her memory.

"Well uh...I'd love to go fishing with you sometime...You're clearly much better at it...You could show me a thing or two about catching fish..." he offered.

Anna giggled, "I'd love that..." she said.

Sasha clapped her hands together, "Okaaaaaaaay, back to the story!!" she insisted.

Jay cleared his throat, "Yes, right, well...When...Uh...On our way back from...Well...Retrieving my weapons...We were...Well, we were accosted by those...Humans...The ones from two days ago...The three who insulted you..." he said. Everyone was silent for a minute.

"We didn't hear this part of the story..." Sasha muttered.

"Yes, well, they pulled a small gun on me, and you kinda...Jump kicked him. You kicked the other two in the balls after saying that you were protecting me, and we went for cake afterwards..." he said. Nick and Sasha burst out laughing again at this, and Anna just looked at him a little wide eyed. "Oh, and uh...You uh...Called me a fox..." he muttered.

Anna giggled, "Well of course I did...You're my fox..." she said with a smile. Jay turned more red and laughed a little.

"Well it's flattering to be likened to such a clever creature...Oddly enough, I think I remember having a pet fox when I was a child..." he chuckled again and put his arm around Anna. Nick and Sasha continued to laugh at the story, so Jay just spoke to Anna over them, explaining in detail her small speech impediments, as Nick and Sasha continued to laugh at each of the things said. When they finished the story, everyone sat around for a minute waiting to hear what Anna had to say.

After a few seconds, she looked up and cleared her throat. "Well then...Anna on catnip is...Interesting...I think...That we'd better keep some of that catnip on hand for the future..." she said with finality, before standing up with the rest of the team, and getting ready for their first class.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> ATTENTION. FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO SEE THE ARTWORK, UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE REQUEST OF OUR ARTIST, IT HAS BEEN REMOVED FOR THE TIME BEING. I WILL LET YOU KNOW IF/WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO REPOST THE ART. I APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE.


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